THE HANGOVER REPORT – Kirill Petrenko leads the BERLIN PHILHARMONIC in an indisputably masterful reading of Bruckner’s Fifth

On Monday night, I had the great pleasure of catching the mighty Berlin Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. Led by the Philharmonic’s music director — Russian-Austrian conductor Kirill Petrenko — the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – After recent turn of events, an evening with JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND turned out to be just the right antidote

It’s safe to say that many of us were deeply affected by the turn of events earlier this month. That being said, it turned out that all I needed to … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Susanna Mälkki incisively conducts the NY PHILHARMONIC, producing an existential soundtrack for our times

One usually goes to the concert hall to escape the realities of life. But on a recent visit to David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, I was struck by how … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Osvaldo Golijov’s fiery opera AINADAMAR makes its Met debut in an evocative, dreamy production

The major mounting of any contemporary opera is cause for attention — especially during this challenging period for that most extravagant of art forms — which is the reason why … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – CHRISTINA BIANCO makes a rare New York appearance with her inspired Barbra Streisand tribute show

Last evening for just a single late night performance, Christina Bianco made a rare New York appearance — the beloved funny lady now calls London her home (in fact, she … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A pulse beats through Nézet-Séguin’s reading of Mahler’s Third via THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

Last night at Carnegie Hall, the great Philadelphia Orchestra performed Gustav Mahler’s expansive Third Symphony, one of the undisputed titanic works in the orchestral canon (in fact, the symphony is … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Processing life through song: Todd Almond’s I’M ALMOST THERE and Gabriel Kahane’s MAGNIFICENT BIRD / BOOK OF TRAVELERS

This fall, a pair of sensitive singer-songwriters — Todd Almond and Gabriel Kahane — have taken to the Off-Broadway stage, each armed with their own beguiling song cycle(s). Read on … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Performance as literal acts of survival: Molissa Fenley’s STATE OF DARKNESS and Miet Warlop’s ONE SONG

Over the past week or so, I came across a pair of performances that were literal acts of survival, both requiring Olympic-level endurance to simply get through them. As per … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Classical music roundup: Assessing the anticipated premieres of Jeanine Tesori’s GROUNDED and Meredith Monk’s INDRA’S NET

This week, I had the chance to catch up with a pair of major premieres from two highly established and much loved female composers — Jeanine Tesori and Meredith Monk. … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Musical theater lyricist and book writer BILL RUSSELL walks down memory lane with some of his favorite divas

Last night at Birdland Jazz Club, I had the great privilege of attending a delightful one-night-only show hosted by Bill Russell — the thoughtful musical theater lyricist and book writer … Continue Reading →